Sanskrit dictionary (beta)

Name of the daughter of Viśvāmitra by the nymph Menakā who was sent down by Indra to disturb the sage's austerities. [When Menakā went up to the heaven she left the child in a solitary forest where she was taken care of by 'Śakuntas' or birds, whence she was called "Śakuntalā". She was afterwards found by the sage Kaṇva and brought up as his own daughter. When Duṣyanta in the course of his hunting came to the sage's hermitage, he was fascinated by her charms and prevailed on her to become his wife by the Gandharva form of marriage; (see Duṣyanta). She bore to him a son named Bharata, who became a universal monarch, and gave his name to India which came to be called Bharatavarsa.]

feminine (said to be from शकुन्त) Name of a daughter of the Apsaras अप्सरस् Menaka1 मेनका by Vis3va1mitra विश्वामित्र (she was supposed to have been born and left in a forest, where she was protected by birds till found by the sage Kan2va कण्व, who took her to his hermitage and reared her as his daughter; she was there seen by king Dushyanta दुष्यन्त, when on a hunting expedition, and married by him, and became the mother of Bharata भरत, sovereign of all India; the story of Dushyanta दुष्यन्त 's accidental meeting with S3akuntala1 शकुन्तला, their marriage, separation, his repudiation of her through temporary loss of memory caused by a curse, his subsequent recognition of her by means of a ring which was lost but afterwards recovered, forms the subject of Ka1lida1sa कालिदास 's celebrated drama called Abhijn5a1na-s3akuntala1 अभिज्ञान-शकुन्तला quod vide).